A Disagreement With My Bed
by Arrant Schemata
Summary: Missing Scene before scene at Jack's cabin. The story now continues with the journey to the cabin and being at Jack's cabin. Complete fluff.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I own nothing; if I did I doubt it would have lasted one season!_

_Rating: Older kids_

_Category: Romance and my feeble attempt at humor (the only excuse I can give is that I was sleep deprived!)_

_Season: Eight, post-Threads_

_Pairing: Jack/Sam_

_Spoilers: Anything with Pete and Threads_

_Authors Note: A little thing that came to me when I was sleeping on my living room floor, not for the reasons given in the story but simply because I was having trouble sleeping! Yeah, sleeping on an uncomfortable floor is a good way of breaking insomnia! It seemed like a good idea at the time. Well at least it gave me an idea for this complete piece of fluff. _

_Authors Note 2: I wanted to post this before I go on holiday on Wednesday so that I hopefully will have lots of reviews to look forward to when I get back, hint, hint! Hope you like it, once again thank you to Alyssa for beta-ing this fic for me. Any mistakes are mine and mine alone._

_On with the story…_

**A Disagreement With My Bed**

She was walking around her house gathering the things she needed to take with her when there was knock on her front door. She began to walk to it, knowing exactly who it would be.

"Damn", she thought to herself, "he's early". She was hoping that she would be ready by the time he got there but she had overslept. Damn her uncomfortable living room floor. "Maybe I won't have to invite him in" she said to herself aloud. But she knew she couldn't do that, she walked to the door and opened it to reveal a completely relaxed General O'Neill standing there.

"Good Morning, Carter. Ready to go?" He asked.

"Nearly. Come on in," she said, moving to allow him to enter her house. She really wished that she had tidied her living room before she had started packing. She knew there would be questions, questions she really didn't want to have to answer. He walked into the living room and looked around. "Here goes," she thought.

"Er, Carter? What are you doing sleeping on your living room floor?" asked the slightly confused General.

Looking down, so she didn't have to look him in the eye, "I had a disagreement with my bed" she finally answered.

He smiled at this, "What kind of disagreement?"

Damn this man. Why couldn't he leave it at that? "The kind where I couldn't stand it being in my house anymore and had to get rid of it and all the bedding." She said, glancing nervously away to look at the stairs.

"May I ask why?" He said with a slightly confused look on his face.

"I…er…" she still couldn't look him in the eye, "It reminded me of…him and what a big mistake all of that was. It got to the point where I couldn't sleep in it anymore so I got rid of it." She slowly lifted her head so that she could gauge his reaction. She noticed that he looked embarrassed.

"Oh" was all he could say, then he seemed to have a thought, "Don't you have a spare room?"

Now it was her turn to look embarrassed, "The same applied to the bed in the spare room."

"Oh?" He said, this time with a questioning look on his face.

She looked down again; she couldn't believe she was having this conversation with General O'Neill of all people. He still didn't know that he was the reason that she had broken off her engagement and here she was talking about why she had to get rid of her beds. ARGH! This couldn't get much worse.

"Yeah," she said, trying to think of a way out of this awkward topic as quickly as possible, "So that's why I've been sleeping in the living room."

"Right then." He could sense that this was an uncomfortable topic for her, and he also realised that he wasn't comfortable thinking about her and him and beds. Those thoughts just ripped his insides out. Shaking his head to get rid of the images he looked at her. "You finished packing?" He asked.

"Yeah, almost. Just got a couple of things to pick up and then we can get out of here." She said, thankful for the change in topic. "Make yourself at home while I finish up."

She then turned and walked back to her bedroom to pick up the last few things she needed and put them in her bag. As she walked out of her room she saw General O'Neill putting the quilt and pillows from her living room floor into the linen closet.

"Sir, you didn't need to do that" she said quickly, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I know. But it's not a good idea to leave it in the middle of your living room floor when you are going to be out of town for a few days. What would the neighbors think?" he asked, being overly dramatic then told her. "And the name is Jack."

A smile slowly crept to her lips and she dropped her hands to her sides "Thank you but I was going to do that before we left."

"Well now you don't have to," he said, giving her one of his heart stopping smiles, well, at least they stopped _her_ heart, "and we can go and get Danny and Teal'c then get on our way."

"Yes sir. Thank you."

"It's Jack. If we are going to spend a week at my cabin there is no way that you're going to call me sir. It's Jack, and that's an order Colonel." He told her, playfully narrowing his eyes at her

She smiled, he had been trying to get her to call him Jack for years but she had always called him sir, Colonel or General. It was the only way she could stop the inappropriate thoughts that would enter her head when she thought of him as Jack. But she couldn't defy a direct order could she?

Smiling to herself she looked and him and said, "Well if I have to call you Jack then I suppose you'll have to call me Sam."

"I was planning on it," he said with a big shit-eating grin on his face.

"Well in that case, let's go Jack." The grin on his face got even bigger when he heard her use his first name.

"After you Sam," he said pointing to the door.

The smile on her face got bigger as she realised the warm feeling she got upon hearing her name coming from his lips. It had been so long since he'd called her anything but Carter.

He stood and watched her walk to her front door. She knew he was watching and couldn't help but put more sway into her hips as she walked.

"Oh yeah, this is going to be a good week" he thought as he watched her step out of her front door. She turned back to look at him,

"You coming Jack?" she said with the sexiest smile he had ever seen on her face. He could only smile in return. He walked to her door and stepped through to stand next to her.

"Do you mind taking my bag to the truck while I lock up?" she asked, sweetly

"Sure" he said heading to his truck with her bag in hand. She stood and watched him walk, she couldn't help herself. He could feel her watching and out a bit more swagger into his walk.

"Oh yeah" she thought, "this is going to be a good week."

She turned around to lock her door and as she turned back she saw him watching her.

"Ready to go Sam?" he called from the truck

Oh yeah, she was ready. She was finally going to see his cabin. Her, Jack, Daniel and Teal'c. The old team together again. What could be better? Well she knew the answer to that, but that's another story.

_Please send me feedback, I need something to look forward to when I get home (before any one gets jealous about the fact I'm going away, please consider that I am sleeping in a tent for a week. I live in England, it's going to rain all week I can just see it!)_


	2. To the Cabin

_Author's Note: Sorry it's taken so long for me to write another chapter to this. I had originally intended it to be a one shot but some of the reviews I received asked for more, I guess I should have thought more carefully about that last line eh? Anyway my muse didn't seem to want to write anymore at first and I got several ideas for other stories, some of which I have posted but finally my muse decided to be nice and give me some ideas for how to continue this story, and here is chapter two. Chapter three is written and just needs typing up and chapter four is currently stewing in my brain, hopefully it will decide to make an appearance soon. _

_Thanks to my beta, you're great Alyssa. _

_This chapter is a little slow but it sets up the scene for chapter 3._

_Anyway, on with the show._

**A Disagreement With My Bed – To The Cabin**

The journey to the cabin was uneventful but enjoyable. Jack and Sam had picked up Daniel and Teal'c and set off on the 18-hour drive. They had arranged that Jack and Sam would do all the driving, as Sam was the only person Jack trusted with his beloved truck. The playful, flirty atmosphere that had begun at Sam's house continued with the journey. Daniel and Teal'c didn't say anything about it but they were both thankful that Sam and Jack were falling back into their old habits. Things had been strained over the previous months, hell, years. Especially recently with all the upheaval in their lives. Daniel was just happy to see her smile again; it had only been two weeks since her father had died. She was coping amazingly well, but sometimes Daniel had caught her looking reflective and depressed. Whenever she noticed him looking at her she would quickly smile to him but the smile never reached her eyes.

However, the smiles she was flashing around today glistened in her eyes. Seeing her reactions to Jack, Teal'c and himself he knew he had made the right decision when he agreed to accompany Jack to his cabin. He had always avoided Jack's invites before but when he had heard that Sam had agreed he knew he couldn't refuse. He wanted to be there for her, should she need him.

It was dark out as they pulled up to the cabin, as there were no street lights around because they were literally in the middle of nowhere. Due to the cabin being so far from anything there was little pollution and therefore the show that the stars were putting on was spectacular. There were millions of twinkling lights in the inky canopy above them.

They all climbed out of the truck and watched the stars for a few moments. No matter how many different planets they had been to they were all still awed by the Earth's sky, because whenever they saw it they knew they were home. Even Teal'c felt this way. Although Earth was not his birth planet he felt a strange affinity for it and the people who lived on it. It was his home now, more than Chulak could be again.

Without a word they collected their gear and walked towards the cabin. Jack opened the door, stepped aside and, while sweeping his arm towards the now open door, he said "Welcome to my home away from home."

Teal'c, who had been to the cabin before, stood beside Jack as Sam and Daniel walked inside. The cabin's décor and setout was simple, there was a large main room to which an open plan kitchen was attached, and it was separated from the main room by a breakfast bar. The main room had a very homely, comforting feeling. It was not particularly large; it had a 3-seater couch in front of the fireplace with two armchairs at either side. The floor was bare-floorboards but there were several rugs scattered about. The only decoration on the wall was photographs; several of a young Jack with different members of his family, a few of Charlie, a number of SG1 on downtime and in pride of place above the fireplace was three of SG1. One from when they were first formed, one from when Jonas was on the team and one from just before Jack's promotion. There was little else in the room except for a bookcase filled with, oddly enough, books and a CD player.

Daniel was the first to say anything, he turned back to Jack and said, "It's great Jack, really you."

Jack smiled and walked into the room. Sam still hadn't said anything; he walked over to her and out his hand on her shoulder,

"Sam?" he asked.

She turned around to look at him, "It's really beautiful Jack, I can't believe it took me so long to accept. I love it here already."

Jack just beamed at her. "Well it's late so I guess you all wanna get some sleep so you can be up bright and early to go fishing!"

"Yes Jack" said Daniel, trying to sound mildly enthusiastic but failing miserably.

"Well, whatever. Daniel and Teal'c you're sharing the back room, Sam, you've got my room."

"Where are you sleeping Sir? Sorry, I mean Jack", it was the first time she had slipped up since they had decided to use each other's first names.

"It's ok Sam. I'm sleeping on the couch and before you offer to swap, you're a guest. You are not sleeping on the couch!"

"Yes Sir", she said with a smile, throwing him a mock salute.

"Right then, I'll show you to your rooms."

He walked towards the kitchen and opened the door at the left of it. It opened into a short corridor that had four doors leading off it. He opened the first door to the right,

"This is the bathroom. There's limited hot water so you need to get in there early if you want a hot shower."

He walked to the next-door, "This is where you and Teal'c are staying. The door opposite is a linen closet, there's extra blankets and stuff in there if you need them."

Daniel and Teal'c both walked into the room and put their stuff down.

"I guess this is goodnight then," said Daniel. He walked to Sam, gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "See you in the morning Sam, night Jack."

"Goodnight O'Neill, Colonel Carter."

With that they entered the room and closed the door.

Jack turned around and showed Sam to his room. Like the rest of the cabin it was simply decorated. A double bed in the middle, a chest of drawers at one side and a small bedside cabinet at the other. On the back wall stood a wardrobe and a couple of chairs.

Sam placed her bag on the end of the bed and sat next to it. She looked up at Jack,

"Thank you for this Jack. I really appreciate it, you have no idea how much."

"I know Sam. I'm just glad I could do this for you. You've been through so much I just wanted you to have a few days relaxing with people who love you."

She smiled at that and stood up. She walked to wards Jack and wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Thank you."

He hugged her back and then pulled away so he could look into her eyes, "Anytime Sam. Anytime."

She smiled again and gave him a very quick kiss on the lips before she moved out of his arms.

"Goodnight Jack."

"Goodnight Sam."

Jack turned and walked out of the room. Sam could hear him rummaging in the linen closet gathering bedding for the couch. She quickly found her nightclothes and changed into them. She moved her bag to one of the chairs and slipped under the bed covers.

She couldn't quite believe she was finally here, in his cabin, in his bed. Over the years she had imagined what it would be like to come here with Jack. She had always thought they would come here alone and would end up breaking the stalemate they had been in for years. She always knew she would come to the cabin one day. However, she never expected it would take 8 years, several almost disasters, many deaths and one broken engagement before she made it. She was really glad that Daniel and Teal'c had agreed to come, they very rarely did things as a foursome anymore and she missed it. The dynamics of the group had changed since Jack had been promoted but the trip so far had shown her how easily they had all begun to slip back in to how it used to be. She smiled at this and took a deep contented breath. Suddenly her senses were assaulted by the scent of Jack. She hadn't realised before but the whole room smelt of him. She snuggled further down into his bed and sniffed. As his scent filled her senses she began to drift off to sleep secure in the knowledge that he was there for her, always.

Jack's heart was racing as he got the bedding for the couch. He couldn't believe the emotions that the simple kiss she had given him had evoked. It was a friendly kiss, not a toe curling, heart stopping, passionate encounter. Never the less it had affected him. It was the first time she had kissed him without alien influence, at least that she remembered. He didn't know what to think. She was here, at his cabin, finally. He couldn't believe it when she had agreed to come. He'd only asked out of habit, never truly believing she would agree. When she had he had been expecting a negative answer so much that he misheard her, she had to grab his arm to stop him leaving her lab, she had looked deeply into his eyes and told him that she would love to come fishing with him. He didn't know what to say, he just stood and smiled. He had no idea what her agreement meant but he wasn't going to pass up the chance to show her his cabin. When Teal'c and Daniel had agreed to come as well everything was perfect.

The atmosphere at Sam's house had been relaxed and friendly, after his initial embarrassment, and, he dared to think, a little flirty. They hadn't been like that in months, probably longer. He didn't know if this meant she wanted to go back to how it was before Kerry and Pete, whether she wanted more or whether she was content as things stood. The headache that was threatening made him realise that he was doing what he accused Sam of many times, he was over thinking things. As he lay down on the couch he realised that no matter what she wanted from him, he would give it to her. He would be there for her, always.

_Please review, they keep me warm at night :-)_


	3. Fishing and Talking

_Authors Note: I'm feeling generous right now as I'm going out for the night and thought I'd pass on some of my good feeling to you people so I decided that tonight would be the perfect opportunity to post part 3. _

_Authors Note 2: Here is chapter three, when I wrote it I found that it was about the size of the previous chapters put together but I couldn't find an appropriate place to break it off so I decided to give all to you in one lump, hope that was the right decision. I used Gateworld to find out exactly what was said during the fishing scene in Moebius, I used that version since it would be the new one after their trip back to the past, or not theirs but their alternate selves, does that make sense? I get so confused with time travel! Once more I must thank Alyssa for Beta-ing this for me. _

A Disagreement With My Bed – Fishing and Talking

Sam awoke as the first rays of light broke through the curtains and spilled onto the bed. She lay there for a few moments, savouring the silence. She looked at her watch, 06:00. Even though they'd arrived late last night she was still up with the sun, damn military internal alarm, it really ruined the chance of a lie-in, most of the time. Sam realised that this was going to be a lie-in free morning and climbed out of Jack's bed. She quickly made the bed and stepped out of the room. Not wanting to wake Daniel and Teal'c by going in the shower so early she decided to go make some coffee and see if Jack was awake.

She walked into the lounge and saw Jack sprawled across the couch, fast asleep. He looked so peaceful; none of the worry lines that marred his face when awake were present. Asleep he looked more like the man that Sam had first met, first fallen for…stopping that train of thought she walked back to the kitchen and set about finding everything she needed to make some coffee. With some searching she managed to find everything and set the coffee machine going. During her investigations she had found most of the ingredients for pancakes, add those to the perishables they had had brought with them she was good to go. The guys had never tasted her cooking and, despite her flippant comment to Turghan all those years ago, she was in fact a very good cook. She just avoided cooking for one since it made too much mess to make the exercise worthwhile and whenever they had team nights at her house take-away was always on the menu. This morning she was going to surprise the guys with breakfast. Leaving the coffee machine to do its magic she quickly whipped up the batter, heated a frying pan and set to work. As each pancake cooked she placed it in the oven to keep warm. While keeping a close eye on the pancakes she set the table with cutlery, maple syrup, sugar, lemon juice and a selection of fruit that she had cut up and placed in a bowl. She poured everyone a glass of fruit juice and then turned back to her pancakes, concentrating solely on them.

Jack awoke to the smell of coffee and pancakes, it had been so long since he'd woken to the smells of breakfast cooking that he took a few deep breaths before opening his eyes. He looked towards the kitchen and could see Sam standing with her back to him, still in her pyjamas with sleep tousled hair, his heart melted at the sight. He stood and walked over; she heard him and turned to greet him with a smile,

"Good morning Jack."

"Morning Sam. Sleep well?"

"Yes, best night's sleep I've had in a while."

"Well you have been sleeping on your living room floor so I would hope my bed is better than that" he said with a smirk.

Just then the coffee machine finished and Sam removed the last pancake from the pan and placed it in the oven.

Sam turned to Jack, "Would you mind getting Teal'c and Daniel while I clean up?"

"Sure."

Jack went to get them and Sam quickly washed everything she'd used. By the time she was finished everyone was there. As they sat down she grabbed the coffee pot and the plate of pancakes from the oven and placed them on the table.

"Tuck in guys."

Breakfast was completed in silence, except for the scrapings of cutlery on plates and glasses and cups being lifted and set down.

Once everyone had eaten their fill they leant back from the breakfast bar and sighed heavily,

"I can't believe you kept that from us Sam" said Daniel.

"Kept what?"

"Don't act coy Ms. Carter; you know exactly what I mean. How come you never told us you could cook?" asked Daniel.

"You never asked, and assumed that because I don't do it that I was bad at it." Her answer stumped him.

"Well said Sam. Besides, if we'd known we'd've never stopped bugging her to cook. This way it was a nice surprise. Thanks Sam, it was delicious" said Jack.

"I concur," said Teal'c, s small smile playing in his lips.

"Well if you think my pancakes are good you should taste my spaghetti bolognese. Now if you guys don't mind washing up, I'll take a quick shower and then you can show me what's so special about fishing Jack."

…………………………………………...

The morning passed quietly, Jack showed Sam how to fish and they sat in comfortable silence on the dock. Daniel and Teal'c had decided to take a walk after breakfast and returned shortly before lunch. Jack and Sam were still sitting on the dock talking together. Daniel and Teal'c grabbed the chairs and cool box that were still in the bed of the truck and went to join Sam and Jack. As they began to walk towards them, Daniel heard Sam say that they should have done this years ago. He smiled to himself but missed Jack's response; it couldn't have been too bad as Sam smiled at him. Suddenly a fish leapt out of his pond, Sam looked to Jack and Daniel heard her say, "I thought you said there were no fish in your pond?" She had voiced exactly what Daniel had been thinking. This time, as he was closer to them, Daniel was able to hear Jack's response "Close enough." Hmmm, so their little trip to the past hadn't been without consequence. But if all that was different was fish in Jack's pond then why worry? They were all there together and that's all that mattered. He put the coolbox down, walked onto the dock, narrowly avoiding Jack's fishing rod and asked of they would like a beer. When they both answered in the affirmative Daniel gave them one each and placed his chair on the dock. Teal'c soon joined them. They spent much of the afternoon this way, talking, laughing, drinking, fishing and generally enjoying themselves.

As dusk began to fall they moved inside and Jack made sandwiches for everyone. The mood continued to be jovial and as the alcohol flowed so did the stories; reminiscing about past missions, fallen friends and misadventures form their youths. The flirting between Sam and Jack also increased, as did the gentle, frequent fleeting caresses between the two.

At close to midnight Daniel and Teal'c said their goodnights and went to their room leaving Jack and Sam alone on the couch.

Jack turned to Sam, "Would you like another beer?"

"Please."

Jack walked to the kitchen and grabbed several beers from the fridge and placed them on the coffee table and sat back down next to Sam. He turned to her again as he handed her an open beer,

"How you doing Sam? And before you say _fine_, don't, I want the truth."

She looked at him, contemplating her answer.

"Honestly? I'm doing ok. Some days are better than others, mostly I'm ok. Sometimes it hits me that I'm never going to see him again, never see him come through the Stargate, that I'm never going to go through the 'gate and know he's waiting on the other side for me. I'll never see him play with his grandkids again, never see him smile. But mostly I miss the feeling of his arms around me – total and utter security, knowing that he would do anything to stop me from hurting. Then I remember the good times, the family holidays, Christmas, birthdays, the days he come home from a mission unexpectedly and took us out for the day, the stories he read to me at night, how he never let me think anything was out of my reach – including the stars. I remember that despite our differences we were closer at the end than we had ever been before and I'll always be grateful for that. I know he loved me, was proud of me and that's all I ever wanted from him. The simple answer to your question is that I miss him.

"Come here" said Jack as he pulled her into a hug, "I miss him too Sam. He was a good man, one of the best. I was proud to call him my friend."

"He felt the same about you Jack. He loved you like another son," she said as she pulled away after his hug.

"That means a lot to me Sam, thank you."

"There's no need to thank me. You earned his trust, love and respect. You treated his little girl with respect and never treated her as the 'girl'. You let me be myself and grow as a soldier and a woman. You accepted my brains and pushed me to better myself. No other CO had done that before. He appreciated everything you did for me. As do I."

"Sam, I don't…I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything Jack; I just wanted you to know."

"I appreciate that but I only gave you what you deserved."

"Thank you."

They sat quietly just smiling at one another. The silence was comfortable but there was something that Jack wanted to talk to Sam about.

"Sam?"

"Hmmm," she said as she came out of her reverie and looking at Jack.

"I know you miss dad but you seem to be taking this better than I thought you would."

"I know. Like I told you in the observation room, because of Selmac I got more years with my dad. I got to find out how proud of me he was and how much he loved me and Mark. If he'd never taken Selmac he would have died earlier and I would have been devastated. Even though I only saw him infrequently it's more than I would have had. I suppose I've also had to get used to losing people I care about since starting at the SGC. I think losing Janet last year was the hardest, she was a doctor first, not a soldier, she shouldn't have been the one to die. It was so unexpected that it still creeps up on me that she's gone, even now. But with dad I can take comfort in the extra years. He also gave me some advice before he died and as long as I am doing my best to follow it I know everything will be alright."

"What did dad tell you?"

Sam looked down to the almost full bottle of beer in her hand, "He said that I could still have everything I want."

"And what do you want?"

If Sam hadn't been drinking and had the atmosphere between them been awkward she would never have given the answer she did, or at least, that's what she would tell herself if he didn't respond as she hoped. She turned so that she was facing him on the couch and looked him in the eyes,

"I want you. I've wanted you for so long that I got used to the having to keep it to myself and not letting it show. It became a way of life for me. When Pete came along it was so different, I could be open about my feelings for him and him for me. But even after the engagement I realised that I was settling. The way I felt when Pete walked into a room was nothing like I felt when you did. He didn't compare to you. I know I shouldn't have been comparing the two of you but I did it subconsciously and when I became aware I was doing it I realised I would never stop doing it. The closer the wedding came the more I knew that I couldn't go through with it but didn't know how to stop everything. When Pete showed me the house he'd bought I knew I had to get out before I hurt Pete more than I already had. Dad's advice gave me the courage to follow my heart. I don't expect anything from you. I have no right to expect anything; I just wanted you to know. I know we can't do anything about it – even if we both wanted to."

As Sam came to the end of her long speech she broke eye contact with Jack and took a gulp of her beer. She continued to do this until the bottle was empty, Jack still hadn't said anything. She leaned forward to place the empty bottle on the table and as she moved back Jack grabbed her hand. In her surprise she turned around to face him. He continued to look in her eyes as he intertwined their fingers.

"Sam, I'm speechless. I knew you cared for me, I guess I just never hoped to think that you felt that deeply. I thought you had found that with Pete and I accepted that, didn't like it but I accepted it. Now, to hear you say all that, I don't know what to say to you that would make you understand how much that meant to me and just how much you mean to me. I want you too. I want a white picket fence with you Sam but we both know that we can't right now. It seems so wrong that two people who have saved the planet several times over can't seem to catch a break in their own lives."

Sam just continued to look at him, trying to absorb everything he had told her. He wanted her? She couldn't believe it. After everything she had put him through he still wanted her. She was overwhelmed by the feeling that his words had evoked. Without knowing it she had begun to cry, tears silently slid down her cheeks. Jack unclasped their hands and gently wiped the tears on her face and pulled her into another hug.

"I'm so sorry Sam. I didn't mean to make you cry."

Sam had collapsed into his embrace, but at hearing his words she pulled back, "It's ok Jack. They're happy tears. I guess hearing you say everything I've wanted to hear for so long was too much for me, I didn't even realise I was crying until you said so."

"You sure Sam?"

"Yes Jack. I'm fine. Just knowing how you feel is enough for now. I've waited eight years for this and will wait another eight years if I have to."

"It might not be as long as that Sam. Changes are coming our way, changes I can't say anything about just yet."

"I know Jack. Let's just enjoy this time together now, we can talk about all of that later."

"Ok Sam, But if I'm going to have to wait even longer before I can have a white picket fence with you then there's one thing I've just got to do," Jack said with a sudden gleam in his eyes.

"Wha…" before could utter the question Jack's lips were on hers, tentative at first as if he wasn't sure if this was what she wanted. How could he think that? The passion with which Sam assaulted his lips showed Jack just how much Sam wanted this. He matched her passion and soon their tongues were duelling with one another, neither giving into the other. Sam moved on the couch so that she was straddling Jack's hips and curled her hands into his hair. Jack merely wrapped his arms tighter around her and slid one hand into her hair while the other traced lines up and down her spine. Gradually the kiss lessened in passion and Sam pulled away from Jack, her arms still around his neck.

"Wow", she said, her brain unable to form any coherent thoughts.

"Yeah", Jack seemed to be having the same trouble.

"Well that little preview is going to keep me awake at night until we can move onto the main feature" stated Sam as she continued to play with the hair at the nape of Jack's neck.

Jack's responding smile made Sam tingle with anticipation of what was to come when they finally caught a break.

"Well I don't know about you Sam but I'm extremely tired and think it would be a good idea for me to get some sleep before I break all my good intentions and the regs in one fell swoop."

"As tempting as that sounds, and believe me it does, I agree. It's time for bed, there are fish just waiting for us to tempt them in the morning and we don't want to disappoint them now do we?"

"No, we don't."

Sam climbed off Jack and the couch and held her hand out to Jack, he grasped it and she pulled him up. To Jack's surprise she didn't let go as she moved to go to her room.

"Um…Sam?" He asked.

"Yeah" she said as she turned to look at him.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like Jack? There is no way that after all we just said and did that I am sleeping alone tonight. We're not going to do anything but sleep together, as in each other's arms. It's not the first time and I hope to whatever Gods are out there that it's not the last. I want to wake up to your face in the morning and know that it's not just because you're injured or because we need to share body heat 'cos it's so God damn cold. Is that alright with you Jack?"

"Well, when you put it like that how can a man refuse?"

And that's just what they did.

_Hope you all liked it and thought it was in character, well as in character as you can get with Sam and Jack actually discussing their feelings! There is more to come, I finished writing the next, and what could be last, chapter today at work. I'm about 1/4 of the way through typing it up, once I've done that I'll send it to my Beta and you can have it as soon as I get it back.Please review, I want something to look at when I get back tomorrow. Pretty please..._


	4. New Beginnings?

_Authors' Note: Well here is Chapter 4, sorry it has take so long. RL got in the way of it and then my account got locked for a week. Not entirely sure why the removed my story In My Arms but oh well. I also got distractedaway from my computer by the two job interviews I have next week!_

_I want to thank my Beta for taking the time to read all the stuff I send her, but if you find any mistakes they belong solely to me. Enjoy..._

New Beginnings

The rest of the week passed in much the same way as the first day. Every morning Sam would make breakfast, Jack would make sandwiches at lunch and they would take turns making dinner. The rest of the day was spent enjoying each others company: fishing, talking and walking in the beautiful Minnesota countryside that surrounded the cabin.

The first morning after Sam and Jack had spent the night together they were worried about what Daniel's and Teal'c's reactions might be to the change in their relationship. They needn't have worried, Daniel simply said that "it was about damn time" and Teal'c raised an eyebrow and said that he concurred with Daniel Jackson. They both sported identical grins for several hours after Sam and Jack's announcement. It was taken for granted that Jack and Sam would sleep in the same room while they were at the cabin as it couldn't be done once they left. Sam and Jack kept to the arrangement they had made, they never did anything but sleep in each other's arms – no matter how tempted they were.

All too soon the end of the week came and the last evening found all of them in the main room, lounging on the furniture. Daniel and Teal'c were in the easy chairs and Sam and Jack were lying on opposite ends of the couch with their legs entangled. They had been talking for hours and had finally hit upon a topic that all of them needed to discuss but none of the wanted to talk about – the future. They all knew changes were coming their way and didn't know how the other's were going to take it.

Daniel finally broached the subject by asking something that had been bugging him since Sam and Jack's announcement, "How are you and Sam going to be together? You are still going to be in the same chain of command."

"Well Danny-boy, that won't be the case for much longer. For some reason known only to the President, the Joint Chief's and General Hammond they have decided that yours truly is the only suitable replacement for General Hammond when he retires at the end of the month."

"That's brilliant Jack, you'll be great at it" exclaimed Daniel.

"Indeed O'Neill, I do not believe that anyone else has sufficient knowledge of the Stargate program to complete the job as proficiently as you will."

"Aw, shucks Teal'c, I'm not that special."

"Teal's right Jack" Sam said, "You know more about the SGC than even General Hammond. You regularly went through the gate, you know what a Stargate team faces out there, and you've experienced it first hand. I for one am glad that you'll be there fighting our corner against the bureaucrats in Washington who have no idea what goes on at the SGC."

"But it's in Washington D.C Sam. That's a long way from Colorado Springs."

"I know how far it is Jack. But even if you were staying in the Springs I wouldn't be here. I put a request for transfer on your desk before we left."

"What? Why? Where?" asked Jack in quick succession.

"I've asked to be transferred to Nellis Air Force Base, Area 51, so that I can be closer to Cassie. You know she's studying medicine at Nevada University and she's finding it hard. Everything is reminding her of Janet and she's away from everyone here and feeling really isolated at the moment. It's not even been18 months since her mom died. Things are finally catching up with her. I want to be there for her, she needs me."

"God Sam. I didn't know she was doing so badly, why didn't you tell us?" asked Daniel.

"She didn't want you guys to know. She was trying to prove that she was an independent and strong woman who could take care of herself. By admitting this to you guys she thought you would all still see her as the little girl we rescued from Hanka all those years ago."

"We all know that she's a grown woman Sam. Admitting she needs help isn't going to change that, if anything it will make us respect her more" said Jack, hurt that Cassie hadn't confided in him.

"I know you say you were never that young but think back to when you were 18. If someone had said that to you, would you have believed them?" Jack slowly shook his head. "She's a headstrong teenager who doesn't want to admit to the most important men in her life that she has weaknesses. But she is gradually learning to let me help where I can. She's so excited at the idea of me moving out there. That is, if you approve the transfer."

"You know I would do anything for Cassie, she's like a daughter to me. Of course you can go to Nellis."

"We're going to be even further apart Jack; Nellis is over 2000 miles from D.C."

"I know Sam, but it's for a good reason. This relationship can work, and will work. You moving to Nellis actually removes another obstacle that would keep us apart. Even though Homeworld Security isn't your direct chain of command it's still the same one. Nellis isn't. We will be together without having rumours about you sleeping your way to the top. The people above know the truth but you know that the average Airman has his mind permanently in the gutter."

"I know" said Sam, giving Jack a soft accepting smile.

"So you and Sam are really doing this? You're going to be together?" asked Daniel, a little surprised that they had openly discussed their relationship in front of Teal's and himself.

Sam and Jack looked at one another. They both nodded.

"As soon as our transfers come through" stated Jack with a smile.

"So, no more General O'Neill or Colonel Carter at the SGC. The place won't be the same will it Teal'c?"

"Indeed it will not Daniel Jackson but I will not be there to witness it. I too am leaving."

"What?" shouted the other three occupants of the room.

"I joined the Tauri in the hope that someday you would help free all Jaffa from the Goa'uld. That day has come and I am needed on Dakara to help the now free nations of the Jaffa to adjust to the changes and work together in harmony. This is a momentous task as there is a deep distrust between the nations and I do not think that anything but my full attention will broker results."

"I'll miss you Teal'c"

"It will not be goodbye Colonel Carter. I will visit and you will be welcomed on Dakara whenever you wish."

"Thanks Teal'c," Sam smiled.

"Yeah T, it won't be the same without you around when I visit the SGC."

"Well since it seems everyone is leaving the SGC I'm no longer worried about how you'll react to my want to join the Dedalus on it's expedition to Atlantis."

"I knew you'd want to go Daniel. I was just waiting for your request to land on my desk. Consider it approved. No one knows more than you about the Ancients so you can go and get you jollies in Atlantis while I'm stuck in D.C."

"Thanks Jack. You don't know what this means to me" gushed Daniel "And D.C won't be that bad. At least you won't be thousands of meters below the surface everyday. I bet you'll get a great view."

"I liked the view just fine Daniel but you're right. I'll get a big office with a view, a pay rise and another star in my shoulder."

"Major General?"

"Yeah, sure, you betcha Sam. You're looking at the future Major General Jonathan O'Neill."

"Congratulations O'Neill"

"Yeah Jack. Like we already said, you deserve it" said Daniel, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Thanks. I guess I always thought Colonel was the end for me. I never imagined becoming Brigadier General, never mind Major General."

They all sat in silence, contemplating the changes that had taken place for all of them over the years of working together. They had been through more than most people could imagine, even in their wildest dreams. But it was finally coming to an end. This was to be a parting of ways for the members of the original SG1. They all knew they would always be friends, they were bound to each other for life but they had to move on and go their separate ways.

Jack suddenly broke the silence by announcing that they needed a toast. They each raised their bottles and waited for Jack to speak.

"We've worked together for 8 years and during that time we've lost people, hell we've even lost Daniel but through it all we had each other. And even though we are going to be in different cities, on different planets and even in different galaxies, we will never be away from one another. We are in each others hearts and minds and all anyone has to do is holler and we'll all come running, no matter the distance. We've grown and changed together and now it's time for the next evolution. So raise your glasses and drink to new beginnings."

The rest of SG1 followed suit and raised their bottles and repeated the toast.

Shortly after it was decided they should head to bed as they had an early morning start if they wanted to be back in the Springs for a reasonable hour of the evening. They all bid each other goodnight and went to their respective rooms.

As Jack and Sam lay together in Jack's bed, Sam turned around to face him, "So we're really doing this?" she asked.

"Yes Sam. We're doing this. Nothing is going to stop us doing this, we deserve this." Said Jack with a determination in his eyes that Sam hadn't seen since he was on SG1.

"Good. I was just checking."

Jack looked down at Sam, "You didn't believe me before?"

"It's not about believing you or not Jack. It's just…this is us. Things have been conspiring against us being together for so long, it's hard to believe we are finally getting our chance."

"I know baby, but this is happening."

Sam looked at Jack with an adorable shocked look on her face and he just look confused at her look.

"Do you know what you just called me?"

"No. What?"

"You just called me 'baby'."

"I did? Huh. I didn't even realise. Don't you like it?"

"No, I do like it. I just didn't think you were a pet name kinda guy."

"Well there are lots of things about me that you don't know and I'm sure there's tons about you that I don't know."

"That's true, but we've got plenty of time to learn about each other." Sam said as she snuggled into Jack's side and closed her eyes.

"I take it that means you want to go to sleep?" asked Jack.

"Yeah, sure, you betcha" Sam mumbled sleepily.

Jack leaned down and placed a soft kiss on the top of Sam's head. "Goodnight baby" he said softly.

"Goodnight Jack"

…………………………………………...

The journey home, much like the journey to the cabin was uneventful. As before Jack and Sam did all the driving and Daniel and Teal'c sat in the back enjoying the time they had left with each other; time where they didn't have to worry about it being viewed as inappropriate, or being interrupted by some base emergency. They were just four friends coming back off holiday.

All too soon they arrived back in Colorado Springs and it was time to say goodbye. Jack drove to Daniel's house and dropped both Daniel and Teal'c there as it had been decided that the base was somewhere they didn't want to visit right now as it would bring home the changes that were coming.

As Jack grabbed Teal'c and Daniel's bags from the bed of the truck Daniel and Teal'c said goodnight to Sam. Jack put down the last bag and turned to look at the scene in front of him, Sam was enveloped in a bear hug by Teal'c on one side and Daniel on the other. He watched for a moment, taking comfort in the bond between all of them. But, being Jack, he just couldn't leave them to it; he just had to say something.

"Come on guys, let her breath. It's not like you'll never see her again. We have a briefing at 0800 tomorrow."

They separated and Daniel looked at Jack, "It's not the same and you know it Jack, we could never do this on base."

"I know Space monkey but it's spoiling my holiday mood. I'm not back on duty until 0700 tomorrow and I intend to enjoy my final few hours of freedom without being reminded of work."

"Ok Jack, you win." Daniel said as he turned to give Jack a hug.

After hugging Daniel jack jokingly turned to Teal'c and opened his arms to him. To Jack's immense surprise Teal'c moved forward and embraced Jack.

Jack was speechless; Teal'c wasn't usually an affectionate person, except with Sam, Ishta and Ryac.

"Well, ok. I guess we'd better go" said Jack after a few moments. "Come on Sam, it's time to go home."

Sam gave Daniel and Teal'c quick hugs and then followed Jack back to the truck.

Jack pulled up outside Sam's house, cut the engine and turned to look over at Sam. And she just looked right back at him.

"Home, sweet, home" he said. "You sure you don't want to stay at my place tonight?"

"I'm sure. I've got to water my plants and wash all the stuff I took with me to the cabin. I also don't think that it's a good idea for us to arrive together after a week away. You know how Airmen's minds are."

"Ok Sam, if you're sure. But remember, if you need anything you know where I am." With that Jack jumped out of the truck to fetch Sam's bags.

Sam sat in the truck a little stunned, "What did he mean by that?" she thought. Pushing her thoughts aside she climbed out of the truck and walked up to the path and opened her door. Once opened, she turned to watch Jack walk up the path with her bags. He placed them in the hall and turned to leave. He stood outside the door and looked at Sam. He couldn't believe everything that had happened in the last week, it was too much for his mind to process. She loved him. That thought caused Jack to grin widely and he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Sam's cheek. She shot him a dazzling smile and he walked to the truck and drove away.

Sam closed the door and rested her head against it. The last week closed in on her and she couldn't believe it. They were going to be together, her and him, Jack and Sam, Sam and Jack. No matter how she said it she still couldn't believe it. It was as though her heart didn't want to accept that her dreams had finally come true. She knew that if she wanted to be able to put her soldier face on when she arrived on base tomorrow she had better stop thinking about Jack and actually do the things she had told him she needed to do.

Sam moved away from the door and picked up her bag and walked down into the basement. She opened her bag and separated out her clothes and put the first load into the washer. She stood watching the clothes spin for a few moments before her stomach rumbled and alerted her to her hunger. She went to the kitchen and whipped herself up a pasta meal that she washed down with a mug of coffee. By the time she had eaten, washed up and put away the dishes the first load of washing was completed. She moved those clothes into the dryer and put the next lot in the washer. She set them going and walked back to the kitchen and picked up the watering can. She filled it and began to walk around the house watering and talking to every plant she found. The last room that had plants that needed watering was her bedroom. She opened the door and walked over to the plants and greeted them as she watered. She then turned to walk back out of the room. It was then that she noticed something was missing…damn! She'd forgotten about not having a bed. "What am I going to do now?" she thought. There was no way she was sleeping on the floor again.

Suddenly she had an epiphany. Jack knew she didn't have anywhere to sleep, that was why he'd made that cryptic offer to her. Damn, sneaky man! She couldn't believe she had forgotten and that he hadn't mentioned it. "Oh man" she thought, "They'll be no living with him when I have to admit I forgot". She decided to bite the bullet and pack a backpack with her overnight things. She went to the basement and took the clothes out of the dryer and placed them in a washing basket, she then transferred the clothes in the washer to the dryer and set the program. She didn't want to have to wash them again because she'd left them in the machine over night.

She decided not to call Jack and warn him of her arrival. She wanted to have the element of surprise, since he knew that she had to turn up at some point. She threw the backpack over her shoulder and locked the house. She walked around the side of her house and took the cover of her bike, she removed the padlocks that secured it and her leg over the saddle and started the engine. She pulled her helmet, engaged first gear and drove off.

Soon Sam arrived at Jack's. She pulled up next to his truck and parked the bike. As she was pulling off her helmet she saw Jack open the door, he must have heard the bike. Jack stood watching her and the grin on his face grew larger as she walked towards him.

"I wondered when you'd figure it out," he said, smugly.

"Shut up Jack and let me in," she said as she rolled her eyes at him.

He moved out of the doorway so that Sam could enter.

"Do you want anything before bed?" he asked.

"No thanks, I just want to go to sleep," she said as a yawn broke free.

"Well, you know where the bathroom is. I'll just tidy up and join you."

Sam walked to Jack's room and entered his en-suite bathroom. She changed into her pyjamas and brushed her hair and teeth and then walked back to the bedroom. Jack was already in bed and as he heard the door open he pulled back the covers. Sam dropped her bag by the bed and climbed in next to Jack. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she cuddled into his side, one arm under her head, the other over Jack's chest. Sam knew that it would be hell tomorrow to have to be soldier Sam after spending the night in Jack's arms, but she didn't care. All she wanted to do was take comfort in the love that Jack was giving her. This would be the last time they were together until their transfers came through. They didn't say anything to each other, they didn't need to. They both knew this was the start of something special and as soon as they were allowed they were going to follow their hearts and never let go. It was truly a new beginning.

The End?

_Well this seems to me to be a good place to finish the story. If you think I'm wrong then please review and tell me so. I do have a few ideas about where I could take this story if you guys are interested enough but I wouldn't be able to get the chapters very quickly. Please let me know what you think and I'll put a notice on my profile page if I am going to continue the story. Since I am unsure of whether or not I am going to continue I'd just like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who reviewed, you made me want to continue writing. To all of those who didn't review but read my story, thank you, maybe next time you can show yourselves, I really value your input and encouragement. _


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